Tea at Trianon: How to Identify Antique and Vintage Glassware

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Monday, May 15, 2023

How to Identify Antique and Vintage Glassware

From Veranda:

Glass is seemingly everywhere, but not all glass is created equal—and just how unequal can be a bit of a mystery. If you have acquired glassware from a grandparent, estate sale, or antique or secondhand store, you may be a bit curious about how old it really is or the story behind it.
Is it a collectible? How do you identify glassware patterns? What antique glassware brands should you be aware of? What are the most rare kinds of glassware? And how can you identify what kind of antique or vintage glass it is? We turned to Samantha Robinson, consignment director of decorative arts and design at Heritage Auctions, to lend her expertise on the subject.
Similar to furniture, glassware that is more than 100 years old is considered antique, while anything that is at least 40 years old is considered vintage. Regardless of a piece's exact age, you can flawlessly style it throughout your home, but a keen eye might also be on the lookout for the hottest antiques to buy now and things designers recommend always buying vintage. (Read more.)